Redevelopers Still Without Director City Panel Clears $1.5 Million For Projects

August 15, 1985|by JOE NIXON, The Morning Call

The Easton Redevelopment Authority did not appoint a new executive director last night as was originally expected, and authority Chairman Richard Lovell said the board may have to readvertise for the post if all five members can't come to an agreement on one of the three finalists.

In other business at the authority's busy session, the panel approved over $1.5 million in low-interest financing for 16 rehabilitation projects in the city, approved Frank Robino Associates Inc. of Wilmington, Del., as the developer for a proposed $15-million, 154-unit townhouse project on South Side, and gave the go-ahead to a purchase option for boxing champion Larry Holmes on a 3.2-acre parcel along Larry Holmes Drive.

"Until we do get an answer from the board that is acceptable to all five of us, we will not publicize anything. Nothing will be forthcoming from the board until we make a decision from this point on," Lovell said of the executive director issue.

"I have no comment on it," Mayor Sal Panto Jr. said after last night's meeting. "The board and I will be meeting again on it, I'm sure."

The three finalists for the post include Paul Singley, authority interim executive director and an authority employee for the past 19 years, former two-term mayor Fred Ashton and an unnamed candidate from the Harrisburg area.

Ashton had been reported to be the front-runner for the post, but authority Vice Chairman Joseph Milutis said last night developments over the last 24 hours had changed that. He declined to say what those developments were, as did other officials close to the selection process. Authority members would not comment last night on whether Panto, who will have final approval of the authority's choice, was not in agreement with the reported support for Ashton.

"There are still no front-runners," Lovell told reporters, adding he had no idea when the appointment would be made. "There's not dissension. I think we have to come to a meeting of the minds on just what type of person we want. Until then, we won't be making any comments."

Lovell said Panto has not indicated he was getting "flak" one way or another on any of the three candidates. "I think this has become a media event with Ashton, and everybody has been keying on Fred Ashton when there were other candidates. We're still interviewing."

Milutis said there is not unanimous support for Ashton and added, "The mayor's approval is always important. He said the authority will meet again in the next day or two to try to resolve the situation.

"There's more than one candidate at this time," he said. "We don't want to go into this thing with a less than unanimous agreement because it's so important that whoever takes this position works closely with multiple organizations and multiple people."

Lovell noted, "We weren't as close as I thought we were. We'll go back to the drawing board." Lovell said one reason for the lack of consensus might have been that all authority members could never get together at the same time for candidate interviews.

Under the resolution approving Robino as the developer for the 16.5-acre townhouse tract, the Delaware company will have six months to submit final plans and specifications to the authority. That will probably be completed well before the six-month time limit. Frank Robino III, Robino vice president, told the authority last night his company expects to start construction in early November on phase one of the development.

Authority members urged Robino last night to make an effort to use local labor and materials in the townhouse project, which will be financed through a three-year, $15-million bond issued by the authority. Under the program proposed by Robino and the authority, very little money will be required as a down payment on the homes and the land will be deeded to the prospective homebuyer for $1 by the authority on the day of closing. In addition, Robino may also be offering a "buy down" in which they would contribute toward the homebuyer's mortgage for the first three years.

Robino and Panto said last night they have already had calls from two out- of-town families wanting toput down payments on the proposed homes. The land the project will be constructed on is bounded by Cooper, Canal, Stewart and Iron streets and is near the Kennedy Gardens apartment complex and the Larry Holmes training center. The homes are expected to sell for about $60,000.

Of the more than $1.5 million in bond money approved for city rehabilitation projects last night, some $600,000 will go toward phase two of the apartment project at the former Betts Hospital at 1440 Butler St. That project is being developed by Andy Kantor, of Easton R.4. A bond of $110,00 was approved for Peter Regina, of Bethlehem, who is proposing to turn the former NIA bakery building at St. John and Holt streets into eight one-bedroom apartments.